The Parting Glass
by snowflake2410
Summary: The day before Delilah Miller was supposed to be married to a certain redneck the world went to shit. Now that they've found each other again they need each other more than ever. As the saying goes Fight the dead, Fear the living. Hell, ain't that the truth.


"You know you should eat something. It ain't good for you or the baby."

"Since when do you care?"

"Since you're carrying _my _future niece or nephew."

"No, I refuse to eat."

Merle's eyebrows furrowed together in fustration. I know I should eat, but I cant. I won't.

"Now listen here, cause' I'm only gonna tell you once. I've always gotten along with you, hell I even approved of you from the start which I never do. But inside you is my brothers child, and I ain't gonna let you kill it off because of your selfishness. Now eat." He growled the last part of his small but meaningful speech. It actually took me by surprise considering Merle's selfish personality. Nonetheless I took the plate from his hands and ate the fruit and chicken nesting in it's center.

Let me introduce myself.

Hi, my name is Delilah Dixion, I'm 23 and I'm Daryl Dixion's wife.

I've known Daryl since I was 13. I've known Merle even longer. Me and Daryl have liked each other the minute we laid eyes on the other. It wasn't until my junior year did he finally ask me out. Age didn't matter to me. Although we aren't that far apart age-wise, only by 3 years. Anyway my husband proposed to me in a very southern way. He asked me to marry him late last year. He asked me by taking me hunting, and then he used his arrows to spell out the words 'Marry Me.' After several minutes of consideration I accepted. The day before we were supposed to be married was the day everything went to hell. The outbrake happened and I didn't see Merle or Daryl for several weeks till I happened by a man. He seemed nice. He even introduced himself. T-Dog was the name, out on a supply run with several other men at the time. I knew my chances might've been slim, but for one reason or the next I went with this man to his camp. There I spotted Merle first, then came Daryl. The rest is history.

Soon the men of our group locked Merle up on a roof of some godforsaken building left to be a human happy meal. Daryl was out hunting, when he got back, boy was he pissed. He went to retrieve his brother, but to no avail, only finding his hand. That and Merle jacked their truck.

Anyway knowing you guys you don't want just a summary. You want the full detail. You want to know eveything. So thats what I'm going to give. I mean what else do I have to do. I'm ready to pop anyday now. Well kind of. You see I'm only six months pregnant, not the full nine, but considering the world we live in you can never be to careful.

So let me take you back to when I met the eldest Dixion. Back to a simpler time.

Back when I was 10 years old.

It was take your kid to work day. Sorta. There was no to look after me that day. Mom was at work, babysitter had a date. So that left me and my dear old dad at the GaleView Juvienille Correctional Facility.

My dad was a parole officer talking to this boy in his office. This was the boy's second time in Juvie, so the meeting was very long. My dad had exited out of the room, and sternly told me to not go into his office. Well you know that saying, 'Curiosity killed that cat?' My cat was definitley dead after what I did. I went into the room. The sat a boy with a buzz cut, an earing in his right lobe, and many bruises on his face. He was muscular, with a tattoo on his left arm.

This boy seemed dangerous. This only peaked my curiousity even more.

This boy only glared when I came in. "What the hell do you want ?" Me being my naive ten year old self, I just gave him a goofy smile. This irked him, even though he didn't say anything. I sat in my dad's chair. That was when I took out my lunchbox that held a small tin of peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. I opened it and slid it across the table to him.

Merle just glanced at me and then he stared at the cookies.

He gave me a smirk. "You know for a little twerp, you're alright." He got a cookie and took a bite.

"You make these?"

I nodded.

"Well you're a damn fine cook kid, I'll give you that." That made my toothy grin widen even further.

"You know, you remind me of my baby brother at home. He can't cook for shit, but you're chirpy, just like him. Maybe if my P.O., let's me out soon I'll be able to see him." He bit into another cookie after he finished his first one.

I finally spoke.

"What's his name."

This boy's eyebrows rose. "So you do speak. His name is Daryl, Daryl Dixion. As for me," He paused to swallow the remainder of the cookie, "I'm Merle."

"I'm Delilah."

"DELILAH." My dad's voice made me and Merle jump from our seats. He walked into the room right in front of me.

"I told you to stay in the hallway."

"Oh take a menstrual pill Frank, me and the kid was only talking. I have a liking to her. She happens to be silent, not like other annoying eight year olds around here. And unlike her father, she ain't so uptight bout' things."

My dad turned red in the face.

"First of all she disobeyed, not something to be encouraged. Second of all she happens to be shy. And lastly stay away from my ten year old daughter." He emphasized on the word ten.

"I can do whatever the hell I want to, Frank."

I got up from my chair, and before I walked out Merle grabbed my arm. "Hey kid, thanks for the cookies. And I mean what I said. I like you, sister." He handed me my half full container of cookies and I was sent on my way. I saw Merle occasionally a few times afterword. Those few times he always smiled, well more of smirked, and said, "Hey there sista' !"

It wasn't till several years later was when I met the infamous Daryl Dixion.

It was at an archery tournemet. I took second in the competition.

He came up to me afterwords. "You know you're quite handy with that bow there." He was wearing a red plad shirt that had the sleeves ripped off, and was really tattered. It was unbuttoned and had a navy green wife beater underneath. The jeans he wore were faded, and raged.

As for the boy himself he was handsome in a scruffy way. Untidy mousy brown hair that went in all directions. His tan skin indicated he spent a whole lot of time outside. His hieght was tall, about 5'9. He had crystal blue eyes, and he smelled of pine, natrual dusty pine. Like he spent all day in the forest. He was also older than I was. And he had bruises, a lot of them.

Needless to say I was tounge-tied.

"Why thank you. I practice every day."

He smiled. "Well it sure pays off."

"Yes it does."

"...Anyway, I'll see you later." He turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" I ran up to his retreating back.

"I don't even know your name, or what school you go to..."My voice trailed off.

"Well I'm Daryl Dixion. And I go to Redwood High."

My heart stopped.

"Wait do you know..."

Daryl confusion was clear in his eyes. "Do I know who?"

"No one, never mind. Maybe we can hang out sometime, I can show you somethings about archery."

Daryl smirked, and stepped forward. He took the bow from my hands. He walked to the shelf where the arrows stood, and grabbed one. He came back to where we stood, which was quite a way aways from the target stand. Slowly he strung one on the string,and drew it back. Then he let it go. It shot forward and hit the target dead center. Daryl handed me the bow back.

"Maybe I can teach you a thing or two."

I nodded vigrously.

"Great, so I'll meet you in the woods, behind the Oakdale trailor park. You in, girlie?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, at three."

"Cool, yeah, I'll see you there."

That was the day my friendship with Daryl Dixion began. Our meeting became a regular thing for us. Even when we got older, when we got jobs, when things got downright awkward, we still met up behind the trailor park to practice. Turns out Daryl isn't even all that adequete with a bo after all. He _is_ a prodigy with a crossbow though. So I did get to teach him quite a few things, while he taught me some tricks with his crossbow.

One day when I was passing through the trailor park after school, I found out about his father. I found out about him, when I passed the Dixion's trailor.

"WHERE THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUISNESS."

"BOY, GET OVER HERE."

"PISS OFF ASSHOLE."

There was a loud crashing sound, and a loud thump noise. A man emerged and threw daryl out of the trailor, knocking him to his back.

"NOW GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, AND DON'T COME BACK YOU LIL' PRICK!"

"Why don't you got to hell." Daryl's voice was cold and low. He got up to his feet, and limped toward the forest. Daryl didn't notice me right behind his neighbor's trailor when he passed by. I followed him, and grabbed his shoulder. He sharply turned.

"I saw what happened..."

Daryl scoffed.

"Now what? I already know what you're going to say. You're going to go on how you feel sorry, and how I need to get some help. Well let me tell you something: You're fucking wrong. I don't need jackshit from you or anybody who thinks their to good to hang out with typical trailor trash when it doesn't benefit him, or when there are other opprutunities with other people. Better people to be friends with. Did I sum up what you were going to say?"

I had an intake of breath, then I released it. I grabbed his hand and led him into the forest, past the point where we usually practice. I led him to the creek. On the way over it was completely silent.

I unzipped my backpack and took out a miniture medical kitt I always had just in case. I then took off my shirt. Don't worry I had a tank top on underneath. I wet it in the creek, wrung it out, and was about to dabb his face when he turned his head out in the other direction.

"Stop. What the fuck do you think you're doing, huh?"

"You've been hurt. Just let me help you Daryl, please."

"Now why should I ?"

" Because I'm you're friend."

He shut up and glared at me. He tried to stare me down, but after a while knowing I wasn't going to back off, he nodded for me to proceed. I dabbed his face with water to wipe off the dirt. He was fine...up until I wiped one of his cuts with an alcahol wipe. He flinched. I did it again he hissed.

"Damn it girl, watch it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I repeated my mantra till he was brand spanking new, bandages and all.

We never spoke of the incident ever again.

When then end of my junior year in high school arrived, things got complicated. Daryl was out of school already, working in an auto body shop. I was always studying, or busy helping out at my mom's outdoor emporium. Archery as a sport became a thing of the past, and was now a hobby that I soley enjoyed with my only friend.

One day my life changed.

It was my birthday. I just turned 17, on a summer's night. School was over, done with and it was just me at the house. Dad had to escort some kid to his new group home which was about five hours away, and mom had to do inventory at the store. So that left me and my house. I like my house, near the woods, white and big, a wrap around porch too. (A/U: Here's what the house looks like: search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1525&bih=682&q=southern+houses+with+wrap+around+porches&oq=southern+houses+&gs_l=img.1.3.0j0i24l3.492.5595.0.8..1224.9j4.13.0...0.0 ...1ac.1. .khA21sHmtTY#imgrc=RcjecZV4IN0vHM%3A%3B6DLgHJTuls4LDM%3Bhttp%253A%252 F% .com%252FSouthernLiving%252Fimages% %3Bhttp%253A%252F% .com%252F2009%252F03% %3B400%3B302 )

Suddenly I heard a noise. No not a scary noise, but the sound of a motor. There Daryl drove up in his beat up, rusty, blue pick up. He held up a bottle of Whiskey.

"I snagged it from my ole' man. You wanna have a sip?"

I shook my head.

"Suit yourself." He got out of his truck, and walked on over to the swing porch chair...on the porch. He plopped right next to me. He unscrewed the cap and offered the bottle to me. I waved my hand.

"I tried."

Daryl took a swig. "So how does being seventeen feel?"

"No different than being sixteen." I smiled

It was silent except the sound of Daryl gulping. When the bottle was half-full he took out a little box. He shoved it roughly in my hands.

"Here, it ain't no dimond ring, or keys to a corevet, but it'll have to do."

"Thank you Daryl."

"Now don't go on thanking me, open the damn thing."

I did just that. Inside the box was a wooden bracelet, whittled from pine, with complicated intricate patterns all over.

"Thank you Daryl." I said again. Only this time I pecked him on the cheek. He stiffened from my touch. He turned to gaze at me.

"You know, I've alway's watched you. The first time I saw you, you was walking home from school. You were wearin' a green dress. I followed you from then on, I didn't have the nerve to speak to you till' that day at the competition. I saw you shoot like the badass you are. Anyway's just thought you should know that. Well you nkow it doesn't mean I'm a stalker or nuthin' I-just-well, you know..." He then started to babble.

"Hey Daryl?"

He stopped babbling, just long enough to look at me. "Yeah?"

"Why don't you just kiss me already."

He nodded and swallowed nervously before his hand reached behind my head roughly crashing his lips on mine. I wanted to faint. I felt as if my stomach was going to explode with butterflys. The butterflys soon turned to fire as I pressed my own lips hard against his, running my fingers through his hair, my hand going up and down his chest. It felt like I was a caged animal, and this kiss was my freedom.

He pulled away and gasped, "I didn't plan that."

"I know."

"I was going to ask you out first."

"By telling me that you secretly followed me around when we were younger?"

"Yeah not the best idea...so do you?"

"Do I what?"

Daryl Dixion sighed, and stared into my light hazel eyes with his icy blu ones.

"Do you want to go out with me?"

"After all these years...I've been waiting for you to ask...so..yes. I will go out with you, Daryl Dixion."

"Hell yeah! Alright...now what?"

I pulled on the collar of his black leather jacket.

"You can kiss me again."

"Oh yeah right." His lips were on mine again.

We dated almost secretly for about 5 months, till Merle found out. I was sitting with Daryl watching the Boondock Saints in his own trailor when the door opened.

"Hey lil' bro, I'm back. They let me off with a warning so I thought I'd-"

He stopped talking once he saw the two of us.

"My, my, my, is just me or did Darylita finally find a piece of ass to tap. A good lookin' one too." Merle put down his stuff and came closer.

"What up sugar? My name is Merle- hey wait a second don't I know you?"

I smiled and nodded.

Merle gasped,"Well this really is a surprise. Ain't you all grown up kid. And with my baby brother too. Well can't say I didn't see that one coming."

Daryl got up from where we were siting.

"Can someone please explain what the fuck is going on?" He turned to look at me. "What the hell, you two know each other?"

Merle snorted. "Seriously, her daddy was my P.O., back in the day. She gave me cookies one time, and wasn't a little brat. So yeah I know her. Don't get your thong in a twist Darylita, it's not like she was my fuck buddy or nuthin'."

I got up from the couch and went over to give Merle a hug.

"I'm glad to see you Merle, and I'm glad to know you're doing well." His shocked expression matched Daryl's.

I went over to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry or thirsty? Can I make you something to eat?"

Merle just broke out into a ceshire cat grin.

"Well, now that's some southern hospitality brother! You better hold onto her."

He came to the table in the kitchen.

"Ah hell yeah, shoot I like you a whole lot more than when you was just a kid. And I'll take a beer, sweetheart."

I went over to the fridge and got a beer out. I opened it and handed it to him.

"Cheers sister." Merle raised the bottle, and then drank away.

Later when I was going home, Daryl pulled me out to the side of his trailor.

"What the hell was that in there?"

"What was what?"

"Serving him beer, making dinner, making desert!"

"So? Your point is?"

"He's my brother."

"Yeah I know that much. Listen, if you want me to be disgusted with your brother or something you have another thing coming. I'm not like most girls. I actually find you brother enjoyable to be around, he funny, and he's nver done any wrong. I have absoloutley no problem with Merle."

"You don't?"

"Nope. Kin is kin. So if he's your brother" I took Daryl's hand in mine intertwining our fingers "then he's mine too."

Daryl grinned.

"Damn, you're so good to me girl."

I just shrugged. " I know it."

He just smiled as he rolled his eyes, before our lips met.

It was true. I didn't have any tiff with Merle Dixion...until he let it slip who his little brother was dating to a certain ex-P.O., of his while out in town buying beer. I mean I wanted to tell my parents. My dad got mad about the fact that it was a Dixion I was dating, and mom got mad because Daryl's 3 years older. But once I stood my ground refusing to break up with Daryl, the decided to give in and at least invite him over for dinner. So there he came in some nice boots, slacks, and his leather jacket. My dad didnt exactly warm up to the idea of me being with a Dixion, but he gave him a shot. Turns out they have many things in common. Mom was wary at first too, but Daryl was polite and even did the dishes, so that was enough for her. It was such a good night I even forgave Merle about his mistake.

Things were fine. Things became perfect when Daryl proposed five years later. But as we all know, all good things must come to an end. Like the world ending. Only lucky me did it have to occur the day before my wedding. And this my friends is when the story officially starts.


End file.
